Elastic fluid turbine apparatus



Patented June 25, 1946' ELAs'rrc FLUID TURBINE APrARA'rUs `l James L. Ray, Elm Grove, Wis., assignor to Allis- Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware y "Application June 26,1944, Serial No. 542,074

10 Claims.

This invention relates to elastic fluid turbines and has for its object the provision of means operative to eliminate the vibration and damage attributable to distortion caused by the unequal expansion and contraction of correlated parts.

In this connection, the'top portion of the cyl;- inder, particular reference being had to the blade carrying parts thereof, in some instances becomes heated more rapidly than does the bottom portion whenever operation of the turbine is initiated and whenever the quantity and the temperature of the motive fluid flowing through the turbine is suddenly increased a considerablev. amount. Moreover, in some instances the top portion cools more slowly than does the bottom portion whenever the quantity and the temperature of the motive fluid flowing through the turbine is suddenly decreased a considerable amount. Consequently, whether attributable to the above stated or other reasons, the fact remains that the temperature of the top and bottom and/or other circurnferentially spaced portions of the cylinder is frequently, nonuniformly varied over a relatively wide range thereby effecting unequal expansion and contraction, overstressing, and in some inl stances, rubbing contact and damage to correlated parts. In any event, the continued overstressing of correlated parts ultimately results in serious and sometimes irreparable damage to moving elements of the turbine thereby materially reducing its trouble-free life expectancy particularly when employed under conditions subjecting the turbine to frequent and sudden large s changes in load and speed.

In accordance with this invention, the overstressing and damage caused by the unequal expansion and contraction of correlated parts is substantially eliminated by maintaining the temperature of the stationary blade carrying means mounted within the turbine cylinder substantially uniform for all conditions of operation irrespective of the rapidity and extent of load change. And this result is preferably attained by the provision of means for cooling the hotter portion and for simultaneously heating the cooler portion` of the stationary blade carrying structure; the cooling and heating being preferably'eflected byl a gaseous fluid or fluids in order to render the invention readily applicable to constructions in which the space between the stationary blade carrying structure and cylinder is in communication with the bladed motive fluid confining passage deflned by the blade carrying rotor and the surrounding stationary blade supporting structure.

2 Accordingly, the invention may be considere as consisting of the various details of construction, 'correlations of elements and arrangements of parts as is more fully set forth in the appended claims and in the detailed description, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through an elastic fluid turbine embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 isa section taken on line II-II of Fig. l schematically showing c'ontrol apparatus for automatically practicing the invention.

Referring to the drawing, it is seen that the invention may be applied to an elastic fluid turbine embodying a spindle or rotor I supported by a pair of axially spaced bearings 2 which are in turn mounted on suitable pedestals or other structures 3, and a casing or cylinder structure 4 enclosing and forming with the rotor I an annular inlet space 6 in which is disposed a nozzle structure or box l receiving motive fluid from a suitable source (not shown) through a pipeA 8 and an annular exhaust space 9; the casing 4 includingv one or more inwardly projecting stationary blade carrying cylindrical parts or segments II which form with the blade carrying portion of the rotor and with the inner peripheral portion of the casing proper an inner bladed motive fluid confining passage I2 and a surrounding space or spaces I3 having restricted communication with the motive fluid confining passage I2 by means of openings or passages I4.

`If desired, the casing may be provided with one or more suitable condensate drains designated In applying apparatus for practicing the invention to a vturbine of the type briefly described herein, the top and bottom portions of one or more of the surrounding spaces I3 are provided with fluid distributing conductors I6 and I1, respectively, andthe conductors I6 and Il are severally and controllably connected with suitable sources of cooling and heating fluids, preferably gaseous fluids, (not shown) by means of valve controlled fluid conducting pipes or the like I8 and I9, respectively; the valves being designated 2I and '22 as is clearly indicated in Fig. 2. The fluid for cooling and the fluid for heating may be of the same or different types and the only requisites in this connection are that the fluids be maintained at materially different temperatures effective to accomplish the desired result and that the nature of the fluids should not be such as to injure parts of the machine with which they come in contact.

All that remains to be done in order to maintain the temperature of the top and bottom portions of the casing substantially uniform as the load on the machine varies is to determine the temperature of such top and bottom portions 5 (preferably by taking temperature readings of the portions and, if the temperature readings of such portions are appreciably different, to appropriately vary the flow of cooling and heating uids to the distributing conductorsl Hiand I l. l0 However, this procedure would not beycommer-r cially practical in many instances as it would require considerable time and a high degree of4 alertness on the part of the operator in order to attain satisfactory results particularly withA` respect to machines subjected .torapid and ma teria] iiuctuations in load. Y In order to render apparatus of the type herein disclosed satisfactorily operable irrespectiveof the rapidity and the extent to which the 'load 'n'f' the machine changes, the top and bottom por-ggg,l

surrounding a rotor-receiving space and having tions of parts are provided with suitable temperature indicating or responsive elements23and 24, respectively, and these elements'or means', whichas indicated'in Fig. A2Y maybe of theel-125 panding duid type. are operatively connected by means of pipes and25 with a bellqwsfor c tlie1 r f.` type of actuating device 26 having' at leastfon'f movable element, such as the diaphragm 21, which is in turn operatively connected with the stemt 30 portions of vvalves 2| and 22 by rneanso'f a link4 28, an arm 29 integral with a rocker `shaft 3|, arms' 32 and' 33 on shaft 3|, and links 34 and 3S; th e v arrangement of these parts being` such'thatjan1-" appreciable difference in the temperature' O'fftliew35 topand bottom portions of parts resultsffin a movement ofelement 21 vand a simult sj resulting movement of valves 2| and'22:.f v

For example, if the temperature; of the tcp p9"r j tion increases relative to the temperature offthef bottom portion, the pressure ofthel iluidiacting 1, on the top side of diaphragm element 2,1 increases and moves the diaphragm -downward as viewfedf' in Fig. 2 thereby effecting a coilntrclpckwise movement of rocker shaft-,3| 'which in turnjeiiects `45 an opening movement of both valves 2|'andl22 f'j thereby increasing thefcoolingv duid-delivered "o' distributing conduit I6 and the hatingiiuidde livered to distributing conduit |1 ysuch,increafs deliveries of the cooling and heating iiuids con-" tinulng until the temperature ofthe top and botA tom portion of the Vparts `|I is' again edualized. If however, the temperature of theI top portion' j decreases relative tothe temperature of the botjj tom portion, it should now belobvious that thej 55 diaphragm element 21 will move 1.1`p\ var.f i,fas` viewed in Fig. 2 and eect a simultaneous closing movement of both valves 2| and22 thereby decreasing the delivery of cooling',and heating fluids to the distributing conduits, i6 and il'l. i .0 The apparatus schematically illustrated in Fig.-

ture of circumferentially spaced-portions (the topf:

and bottom portions) ofthe parts l i substairrf-v tially uniform irrespective of the rapidity and eX---f tent of load change on the turbine Vorother inachine to which the invention isapplied. And in accordance with this invention, the trouble-free*` life expectancy of a machine is materially iri- ,im creased by maintaining the temperature of parts,

such for example as those herein designated substantially uniform irrespective of the rapidity and extent of load change by subjecting two or'- more circumferentially spaced portionsfof such l parts to the temperature equalizing action of uids conditioned to eiect'the desired result.

Consequently, it should be obvious that the invention is generally applicable to all types of elastic iiuid turbine constructions in which circumferentially spaced portions of the stationary blade carrying means or other parts attain materially different temperatures irrespective of the operating conditions producing the diiference, and it shouldthereforebe understood that it is nqtintendedtb limit thev invention to the exact details of construction and operation herein Ashown and described for purposes of illustraon, as various modiiications within the scope of theY-appended--flaims may occur to persons sltilleiin the art, i.

reisen 'imed a -.fdesired to secure by Letters aient; 4v1. In an elastic uid turbine apparatus compri'sing-"a lro`tior-`fenclosing casing embodying inward-extending, stationary blade carrying means at least two Ycircumferentially spaced portions subiect tol attaining materially `different, temperatures during normal operation, means for simultaneously `flowingseparate cooling and heating i'd'sfjnheat exchanging relation to the higher and lesser `heated ones or said spaced portions,

`sunrf'rouncling arotor-receiving space 4'and vhaving 'at :lea'stjtwo' circumferentially spaced portions subjecttc attainingmaterially different temperatures duringlnormal operation, means for severally'subjectingthe higher'and lesser heatedones oisaid spacedjportions tothe temperature equalizing action of separateA cooling and heating fluids respiiivelyy i 3.j'An elastic `fluid turbine 'apparatus compris- I ing a rotor-enclosing'hcasing"embodying inwardextending, stationary'blade carrying means forma `I "ot'or'- rece'ivinEspace, means for indicating a m terialjdiierence'id the temperature of at least two circumferentially spaced portions of saidstationarye'anafand means for simultane- -ou'sly effecting eq'ualizi g changes in the temperatiirfeo'f said portions" n elasticfluidl turbine apparatus comprislng a rotor-enclosing casing embodying inwardextendingstationary blade carrying means formsubjecting said portions to the temperature ''equalizin'gaction o`f iiuids conditioned to maintain the temperature of the spaced portions substantially uniform.

5:An' elastic uid turbine apparatus compris- 2 inherently operates izo-maintain .the temperamga rotor-enclosing. ca'smg embodying inwardextending, stationary blade 'carrying means formving'arotor-receiving space, means for changing the' temperature 4of at least two cireumferentially spacedjportions of said stationary means, and

Y controlrneans responsive to a temperature differen'ce betweenjsaid portions for automatically and infg, a rotor-enclosing casing embodying inwardextending, stationary clade carrying means forming arotorreceiving space, means for subjecting circumferentially spaced portions of said stationary means to the temperature equalizing action of uids conditioned to compensate for a difference in the temperature of said portions, and control means responsive to a temperature diierence between said portions for automatically and simultaneously subjecting said portions to the temperature equalizing action of said uids.

"1. An elastic fluid turbine apparatus comprising a rotor-enclosing casing embodying therein stationary means forming a coaxial rotor-receiving space and a surrounding annular space having restricted communication with said rotor space, means for severally introducing gaseous fluids to circumferentially spaced portions of said iluids being conditioned to change the temperature of the walls bounding said portions, and control means for simultaneously effecting a ternperature equalizing variation in the oW of said fluids in response to a diierence in the temperature of the Walls bounding said portions.

8. An elastic fluid turbine apparatus comprising a rotor-enclosing casing embodying therein stationary means forming a coaxial rotor-receiving space and a surrounding annular space having restricted communication with said rotor space, means for severally introducing gaseous cooling and heating fluids to circumferentially spaced portions of said annular space, and control means responsive to a diierence in the temperature of the Walls bounding said portions for automatically and simultaneously varying the iiow of both fluids to compensate for s uch diierence.

embodying a blade carrying rotor and a casing enclosing said rotor and having therein a stationary blade carrying means forming with said rotor a bladed motive fluid confining passage and a surrounding space having restricted communication with said passage, means for simultaneously delivering gaseous cooling and heating fluids into the top and bottom portions, respectively, of said space, and control means for varying the i'low of both iluids to compensate for a difference in the temperature of the top and bottom portions of said stationary means.

l0. In combination with an elastic fluid turbine embodying a blade carryingrotor and a casing enclosing said rotor and having therein a stationary blade carrying means forming with said rotor a bladed motive uid conning passage and a surrounding space having restricted communication with said passage, means for simultaneously delivering gaseous cooling and 'heating uids into th`e top and bottom portions,

respectively, of said space, temperature responsive elements operatively associated with the top and bottom portions of said stationary means, and means rendering said elements operative to simultaneously vary the flow of both fluids in response to a difference in the temperature of the top' and bottom portions of the stationary means.

JAMES L. RAY. 

